Using Fitness to Thrive Through Sobriety
In this episode of Get Sculpted, host Tijana discusses how quitting alcohol transformed her fitness, mindset, and health, and how you can do the same.
Alcohol and fitness don’t mix—but for years, I tried to balance both. I crushed workouts and chased big goals, yet partying kept pulling me back into a cycle of regret, exhaustion, and setbacks. After one life-changing New Year's Eve, I knew it was time to break free. Now, three years sober, I’m in the best shape of my life—mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I’m Coach T, and in today’s solo episode, I’m revealing how my fitness, confidence, and holistic health skyrocketed once I left the party scene behind. From overcoming self-doubt to reshaping my identity, I’m breaking down the key lessons that helped me stay committed to a sober lifestyle. If you’ve ever felt like alcohol might be keeping you from your healthiest, strongest self, this episode is your wake-up call.
Here’s what we cover:
Why high-achievers struggle with quitting alcohol (and how to break free)
The mindset shift that made sobriety easier than I ever imagined
How giving up alcohol led to faster fat loss, better workouts, and clearer skin
The unexpected financial, emotional, and social benefits of sobriety
How to start redefining your identity and stepping into your healthiest, strongest self
Sobriety isn’t just about quitting drinking—it’s about stepping into a version of yourself that’s fully in control, energized, and thriving. What would your life look like if you let go of the habits that no longer serve you?
You can change your identity. You are not set in stone as the overweight person, the out-of-shape person, the person who parties their face-off, the person who always yells at their kids. You don't have to be that person. You can create that life, but it takes being intentional.
-Coach T
Let’s continue the conversation—DM me on Instagram @CoachTijanaDaly and let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode! And check us out @getsculpted.ca
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More about the Get Sculpted Podcast
Welcome to Get Sculpted, the podcast designed for women ready to transform their bodies and level up their lives with science-based strategies and actionable advice.
We dive into the essentials of fat loss, muscle building, and metabolism optimization by helping you work smarter, not harder.
This isn’t about quick fixes or fad diets; it’s about creating sustainable habits and stacking wins. We’ll help you fuel your body, strengthen your mindset, and build your 2.0 sculpted self from the inside out.
We’re your hosts, Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana. We have over 20 years of collective experience in the training, nutrition, and body transformation business, with over 1000 transformations and counting.
Ready to get stronger, more empowered, and embrace a healthier, more resilient you? Join us every week and start sculpting the life you deserve!
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast follows:
I just passed three years sober—the longest I’ve ever gone since I started drinking as a teenager.
The reason I want to share this is because when I was questioning whether I should quit drinking, the people who inspired me weren’t those who had lost everything. It wasn’t the stories of people who were homeless, at rock bottom, or had hit extreme lows. It was the stories of high-functioning people—people who had a good life but knew they weren’t reaching their full potential because drinking was holding them back. That’s the space I was in.
Every time I’ve shared this journey, people have reached out to say how much they appreciate the honesty. It’s not always easy to be vulnerable, but these conversations connect us. So today, I want to go deeper into my story—how I got here, the struggles along the way, and how getting sober has helped me become the best version of myself.
Where It All Started
I started partying when I was 13 years old. But before that, my way of coping with emotions was through food.From the age of eight, I used food as an escape. I became overweight quickly. At one point, I weighed more than I do now as an adult. Every time I felt something uncomfortable—sadness, frustration, stress—I numbed it with food.
Then, as I got older, I found a new escape: drinking and partying.
When I had my first experience with alcohol, I thought, This is fun. This is freeing. I don’t have to feel anything I don’t want to feel. Looking back now, I can see that I was using it to run from my emotions. At the time, I just thought it was normal.
For years, partying was a huge part of my life. I went all in—blackouts, bad decisions, putting myself in dangerous situations, spending money I didn’t have. I had moments where I knew I wasn’t living up to my potential, but I ignored them because drinking was the easiest way to avoid those feelings.
And I want to say this—I don’t share this to cast judgment on anyone who parties. If you’ve never struggled with alcohol, that’s great. But if you have, know that it’s not about being weak or reckless. It’s about using an external thing to numb something internal. Some people do it with food. Some people do it with screens. Some people lash out. We all have coping mechanisms. Mine was alcohol.
The Turning Point
I had a few phases where I stepped away from partying. In my early 20s, I took a break, got into fitness, and focused on getting healthier. But after a big breakup, I fell back into old patterns.Drinking became my way to feel free. It was how I laughed, had fun, forgot my stress. I convinced myself it was fine because I wasn’t drinking every day. I could go weeks without it, but when I did drink, I went all out.
Then, in my mid-20s, I met my husband, Brian. We were both trainers, both into fitness—but we also both loved to party. It wasn’t about escaping hardship. It was just what we did for fun.
Even after having kids, I still had moments where I’d go out and completely overdo it. I wasn’t drinking daily, but when I did, I became a version of myself I didn’t like. It impacted my energy, my confidence, my ability to show up as the mom and business owner I wanted to be.
That’s when the cognitive dissonance started setting in.
I was doing personal development, making vision boards, setting big goals for myself. I had all these dreams—financial freedom, a thriving business, a strong, fit body, being an amazing mom.
But then I’d go out, drink too much, stay up all night, skip workouts, and wake up with regret.
It didn’t align with who I said I wanted to be.
It wasn’t just about alcohol—it was about the choices that came with it. The late nights. The hangovers. The wasted weekends. The missed workouts. The emotional lows.
I kept asking myself, Why do I keep coming back to this?
And then, my breaking point came.
Enough is Enough
It was New Year’s Eve 2021, going into 2022.I had a big night out—partied hard, stayed up all night, felt absolutely awful the next day. But it wasn’t just the physical hangover.
For the first time, I felt completely disconnected from the person I wanted to be.
I don’t consider myself a “woo” person. I’m not religious. But in that moment, it was like my higher self—the version of me I had been working so hard to build—was looking at me and saying, What the hell are you doing?
I knew in my gut: This has to stop.
So I made the choice. And I told myself:
💡 I’m not going to think about forever. I’m just going to do the hard thing right now.
And I started stacking up wins.
How I Made Sobriety Stick
The first few months were the hardest. But every time I hit a milestone—a birthday, a wedding, a stressful moment where I normally would have had a drink—I proved to myself that I could do it sober.And every time, it got easier.
Now, I wake up clear-headed and full of energy. I’m in the best shape of my life. My mornings are productive, my workouts are better, my emotions are stable.
I’ve saved money, gained confidence, built discipline. And I’ve let go of the belief that drinking is essential for fun.
Because it’s not.
You Can Change Your Identity
I share this because I want you to know you can change your identity.You’re not locked into who you were in the past.
If you’ve told yourself:
“I’m just not a fit person.”
“I’ve always been overweight.”
“I’ve always been the one who drinks at every party.”
That doesn’t have to be your story.
The 2.0 version of you—the one you’re working toward—already exists. But you have to start making choices in alignment with that version of yourself.
For me, the shift happened when I stopped thinking about what I was losing and started focusing on what I was gaining.
Better health. More energy. Stronger relationships. A life I’m proud of.
And that’s what I want for you, too.
If this resonates with you, I hope you take away this:
You are not stuck.
You can make different choices.
Your future self is waiting—you just have to start living in alignment with them.
If this episode spoke to you, send me a DM. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
And if you know someone who needs to hear this, share it with them.
Thank you for listening. See you in the next one.